


When in doubt, just follow your nose

by SleeplessAnt



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Journalism, Attempt at Humor, F/M, Finn and Poe are idiots, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Rose Tico Deserved Better, Rose Tico saves the day, Tried to do crack but got some plot somehow, mentions of animal abuse, rose hates fathier races
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24675508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleeplessAnt/pseuds/SleeplessAnt
Summary: Journalism AU - Poe Dameron is highly suspicious: notorious asshat Ben Solo has cut down on the assholery, and Rey is surely hiding something. Finn is not amused. BB gives no shit, and Rose is up to do some actual work.
Relationships: BB-8 & Poe Dameron & Finn, Poe Dameron & Finn & Rey & Rose Tico, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	When in doubt, just follow your nose

**Author's Note:**

> It all came to me with the first, and last scene. Had to do something in the middle to move the characters from one point to the other.

“Buddy, I tell you, they are _totally_ banging.”

“They are so _not_! What is wrong with you?” Finn let out an exasperated huff.

Elbows on Finn’s desk, Poe Dameron ran a hand trough his hair.

“Come on, just use your eyes! You knew something was up when she started wearing her hair down.”

“Shit, man, that’s just sexist.”

Poe waved his hands in the air, giving up and returned to his own cubicle.

Finn shaked his head. When he had signed in to work along Rey in Skywalker Publishing, he was not expecting putting up with this kind of gossip. Even less coming from Poe.

He eyed Rey’s private office, across the hall, where Ben Solo had just let himself in. Sure he had _walked_ the carpet instead of stomping it, had knocked and actually _waited_ for an answer. Had closed the door without noise.

_But still!_

Rey was his best friend in the whole world. They had met in college and instantly clicked, even though she was quite antisocial and first, and disliked being helped -and generally approached- by anyone, and Finn was more of the outgoing, universal caretaker type.Something about her drive and sheer brilliance and his constant advocacy about what was right and wrong made them an unstoppable team.Neither of them could ever leave well enough alone, or stop bursting into stupid choreographies, for that matter.

After they both enroled in journalism school, they decided to leave the student dorms to share an abysmally tiny, but incredibly cheap apartment. It was a one bedroom matchbox, in which Rey took the living room/kitchen as her general living quarters, and Finn used the bedroom.

Finn knew, just as well as Rey, that she had been hired in Skywalker Publishing right after graduating, because she was a journalism powerhouse, not because she was screwing the boss’s son. The mere notion was outraging, but also, moronic. Rey couldn’t even _stand_ the guy. Neither could he, to be honest, but he was Leia Organa’s son, so he was there, and that was that.

Ok, so Ben Solo was also very talented, measuring up even to Rey’s standards, but a douchebag nonetheless.

* * *

23:31 – DameWRONG wrote: hey, buddy…

23:40 – DameWRONG wrote: Finn, come on, I know you’ve read this

23:42 – You wrote: wdyw?

23:42 – DameWRONG wrote: look, ive been thinking… that was really messed up of me to say

23:42 – DameWRONG wrote: i was talking to BB and they made me realize it

23:42 – DameWRONG wrote: u know, suggesting rey is doing the unspeakable with solo

23:42 – DameWRONG wrote: it looks like i’m accusing her of…

23:42 – DameWRONG wrote: i mean, i know what it sounded like and i swear to you i didnt mean it

23:42 – DameWRONG wrote: rey is fucking great

23:42 – DameWRONG wrote: everybody knows that

23:43 – DameWRONG wrote: she could do the whole floor’s work by herself and then some more

23:43 – DameWRONG wrote: what i was trying to tell you is that i also know ben solo since we were kids

23:42 – DameWRONG wrote: i saw all of his angsty teenage crap, and what it did to leia

23:42 – DameWRONG wrote: you know i even blamed myself when he left

23:42 – DameWRONG wrote: thinking perhaps i had pestered him too hard

23:42 – You wrote: nah, come on man, dont be like that

23:44 – DameWRONG wrote: well what i was trying to say is that i know solo and i know smt is up with him

23:44 – DameWRONG wrote: and since you said there was something off about rey recently too

23:44 – DameWRONG wrote: i just jumped to conclussions…

23:44 – You wrote: yeah no shit

23:50 – the BB bestest wrote: hello finn, sorry for the hour

23:50 – the BB bestest wrote: idiot poe is now vomiting and can’t text

23:50 – the BB bestest wrote: but i think is safe to say that he’s realized his mistake

23:50 – the BB bestest wrote: and he’s very sorry

23:50 – the BB bestest wrote: like almost a full bottle of corellian liquor’s sorry

23:51 – the BB bestest wrote: i don’t even know how he managed to type in his state

23:51 – the BB bestest wrote: he says its bc he’s just that good of a writer

23:51 – the BB bestest wrote: *facepalm emoji*

23:51 – the BB bestest wrote: anyway he’s whining that you please forgive him

23:51 – the BB bestest wrote: and i really think he wasn’t trying to say that nasty thing about rey

23:51 – the BB bestest wrote: he is just a laser brain who can’t pause half a second to think before speaking

23:51 – You wrote: yeah no shit

23:51 – You wrote: gossip can get really serious you know

23:53 – You wrote: look, tell him we can grab coffee tomorrow morning and talk

23:53 – the BB bestest wrote: done

23:53 – the BB bestest wrote: god thank you

23:53 – the BB bestest wrote: i can’t stand him moping around any longer

23:53 – the BB bestest wrote: its been what? 2 days of this?

23:53 – the BB bestest wrote: if this goes on i swear i’ll throw myself out the window

00:40 – You wrote: you got home all right?

00:40 – Dameronne the mascarponne wrote: yup, thanks

00:45 – Dameronne the mascarponne wrote: hey buddy

00:45 – You wrote: what now? plz man just let me sleep

00:45 – Dameronne the mascarponne wrote: i’m sorry just

00:45 – Dameronne the mascarponne wrote: i know you changed my contact name

00:45 – Dameronne the mascarponne wrote: can you take it back? :(

00:45 – Dameronne the mascarponne sent: *pleading porg picture*

00:46 – You wrote: i already had

00:46 – You wrote: we’re going to be good

00:46 – You wrote: please get some sleep

00:46 – You wrote: you still have some explaining to do tomorrow

00:49 – You wrote: and don’t forget to drink water!!!!

00:49 – Dameronne the mascarponne sent: *picture of water cup with spaceships on it on the nightsand*

00:49 – You wrote: please sleep

00:52 – You wrote: we’re going to be good

Poe had been, in fact, an idiot. And his idiocy was precisely why Leia had him covering small fry things instead of the big reports he wanted to chase around. It was not for a lack of skill. He had a great nose for stories, a huge network of sources and the most entertaining writing style Finn had seen; Poe could make drying paint sound exciting. He just couldn’t stop to _process_ things before writing them. Or saying them out loud.

Finn sipped his coffee and watched Poe across the table.

“Look, I’m sorry, ok? I really am, buddy.And I promise I didn’t tell anyone this, so you don’t have to worry about that awful sort of gossip going round’ about Rey.” He paused for a second and hesitated before adding “I went straight to you right after it occured to me that...”

Finn raised his eyebrows menacingly and Poe, finally, finally, shut the hell up.

* * *

Things went back to normal in the office. Finn and Poe were back to their usual shenanigans, BB was back at contentedly working among the chaos and Ben Solo was back at standing menacingly at his office’s door, about to call in some poor innocent soul.

“Tico.” he barked, in his usual resonant and demanding voice.

Then, he paused and seemed to consider something.

“Hum, I mean, Rose? Would you mind stepping into my office in a few minutes?” he added, with strained amiability. He closed the door fast, but did not slam it. He just… closed it, like a normal person would?

Rose went pale. She exchanged looks with her friends, but neither knew what did Ben Solo think that she had done wrong _this time_. A call from him was never good news. Visiting his office was never a pleasant experience. Sure, he was a good editor, he could redirect pieces in the right direction with the outmost efficiency, pinpoint where the prose dragged and other general mistakes. But he never bothered not to be a dick about it.

Rose’s manuscript on animal abuse at the fathier races had been in revision for three weeks now. It had been a long tug of war with Ben Solo to see it published. After the first submission was returned to her, covered in marks, nearly dripping red ink, she had fumed and hammered at her keyboard for a whole afternoon. Over the next few days, she paid several visits to the tracks, to “get the damn photos since veterinary reports are not accusatory enough for this bloody jackass.”

She actually managed to access a poor fathier that had broken an ankle, and obtained several high quality pictures of its open wound, patched together with superglue. She showed her friends the images with a certain amount of pride. Finn’s stomach bolted a little, and even Poe squirmed, but BB didn’t bat an eye, since it took a lot to startle them.

There was no denying now that those poor gentle creatures were being mishandled. And her batch of pictures was rejected, because of course it was.

“He said they look so gory and disgusting that nobody will want to look at them, or believe they’re even real!” She shouted right after closing Ben Solo’s office door, absolutely boiling with rage.

Three days later she returned, this time with polaroids depicting open gashes on the fathier’s delicate ears and noses, and the caretakers handling them with forbidden electrified whips. The stills were certainly sad to look at, but much more manageable.

And the story still wasn’t deemed fit to be published.

“This will only be read by people that already think fathiers should be protected instead of exploited.” Ben had stated, looking at her dismissively at the other side of his desk. And he went on. “On the other hand, a lot of politicians and high profile businessmen put large sums of money in this business. Sure you _must_ see that fathier racing is still regarded as glamorous and atractive for most wealthy people. And I can assure you that all of them know that the animals are as good as disposable, and none of them care.”

Rose clenched her fists around her notepad, struggling to remain silent.

“This is just hippie mumbo jumbo. No one of consequence will pick this up.”

Rose would have given up if Rey hadn’t caught up with her later, and pointed out that the three small children working with the fathiers, in one of the panoramic frames, were _not_ supposed to be there.

It came down to the present moment for Rose to assess if Rey’s bold suggestion had amounted to something. She had followed the lead and it had gotten her… well, pretty far. But was floored by the magnitude of her findings, and had not dared to tell BB, Poe or Finn about them, afraid to lose her nerve.

Rose raised from her seat and walked slowly into Ben Solo’s office. She knocked stiffly and was admitted with an actually _polite_ “Come in”.

Finn and Poe looked at each other nervously. They didn’t dare to speak, lest they would break the tension that emanated from Ben Solo’s office. Five minutes in and Rose still hadn’t bursted out raging.

When ten minutes of calm had gone by, BB joined their friends. They were perplex. Nobody spent that much time inside Solo’s office. Nobody could fucking stand him that long.

Save from Rey, of course.

Their confussion grew when the door opened slowly, and Rose emerged looking… dumbfounded? Her face was a mask of utter shock, as she had seen Sheev Palpatine himself rising from his grave. Can-can dancing. And singing.

“He wants us… uh.” Rose said, still speechless. “Mr. Solo says he wants to speak with all four of us.”

In which deep shit were they all now?

* * *

“Okay, you’re right, there’s something definitely weird going on with Solo.” Finn begrudgingly admitted to Poe, BB and Rose.

“Are you kidding?” Rose blurted, finally surfacing from her stupor. “What do you mean something _weird_? That man is not himself!”

BB nodded, sipping their drink, and took a long breath. It seemed like they were going to say something, but Rose beat them to it.

“And what about Rey? She _hates_ to meddle in Solo’s assigned batch! She’s gone bonkers too.”

Rose was right. Since Ben Solo was such a relentless, unmanageable asshat, Rey preferred to keep her interactions with the man to a bare minimum. The few times she had intervened uncalled in a conversation between him and the other journalists, things had spiralled down to screaming matches within a few minutes. She didn’t had the patience anymore.

So both editors would normally left each other to their own devices when it came to micromanaging.

But now... Now the both of them were going to take on the story _together_. And they wanted the whole team working on it.

“Niima suggested we make a special issue out of this.” Solo had briefed them, as the four friends stood in his office, none of them sure if thew were shook by the news, or their editor’s absence of his everpresent, proverbial scowl.

So now Rose, Finn, Poe, BB, Rey and Ben Fucking Solo were about to work together, on several, intertwined articles. Denouncing money laundering and child labour in the fathier races, no less.

Down at the bar, BB tried to resume their point:

“Yes, Finn, thats what I wanted to tell you. Rose and I have noticed that Rey’s been acting weird these past weeks, too.”

“What do you mean weird?”

“She’s been… humming. And texting.” BB said, looking to Rose for support.

“Yes! And the other day she actually asked me how to apply make up! And she never seems to let go of her phone now, you know? Like, _ever._ She’s glued to it.” Rose drew breath to land her final blow. “And smiles like a bloody idiot half the time she types.”

Poe’s eyebrows went up, as he eyed the conspicuosly empty seat, by Finn’s side, that Rey usually took. She had been absent from their bar meetings (or “bar raids” as BB would normally describe it) for the last three weeks.

“You know how she is when she really gets working.” Finn defended her, adamant. He refused the idea of his beloved, brilliant friend involved with such a rude, despotic nerf herder as Ben Solo.

Rey had also been arriving late to the apartment, now that he thought about it.

And leaving really early, too. In fact, this morning she had already left when he woke up.

She had already left, or never got home.

And Rose was right, she _was_ humming, and smiling like an idiot while texting.

Holy shit, Rey was doing something. Or _someone_.

Never the one to lie to his friends, Finn finished his drink, took a deep breath and said, slowly, carefuly “I think you might be up to something…”

“Yeah, no shit.”

“Easy there, flyboys.” BB interjected “We might all be worried and such, but Rey’s private life is her own. Besides, finally, finally, we have some actual _real_ work to do.”

Surely BB had stood the moral high ground, and managed to stop the conversation and draw their attention to their work. For two weeks, the team had been solely devoted to researching Tico’s story, as Ben Solo usually called it. The four of them sent e-mail advances to both Ben and Rey every afternoon, and got replies early in the morning.

The two editors actually complemented each other surprisingly well. None of their advice clashed, and what’s more, their joined vision balanced out the story’s focus. Ben was keenly interested in proving -and explaining to the general public- how the races’ finance book didn’t add up, and tracing the obscure money flow right back to each filthy wallet. Rey made a point of researching orphanages and poverty rings surrounding the tracks, and was laser focused on finding whoever was recruiting children to clean the stables, and do who knew what more.

But Poe and Finn were, if anything, very worried friends. Extremely preoccupied roommates. Annoyingly caring colleagues. Awfully nosy little bitches.

“Finn, look at Rey’s hair.”

“Jesus, again with the hair thing?”

“No, but, seriously, she looks… dashing.”

Finn looked up as Rey arrived into the office, and sure enough, her locks were looking extremely brilliant and soft. Like she was wearing some new, good hair product.

“Has she changed her conditioner?”

“I don’t know, maybe. I don’t keep tabs on her shower stuff.”

“Maybe she didn’t go home last night.”

Finn shot him an angry look.

“Really, man? I would know… if _I_ had been there last night.”

Poe had the decency to blush, but kept on. “Ok, but haven’t you noticed how, you know, Solo’s hair always looks so good?”

“So you’re calling the asshole dashing now.”

“No, Finn, and you know that.” Poe bit his lower lip and smiled.

“Fine, he does have great hair.” Damn, Poe was impossible.

“What I’m telling you is that I think… I think they are using the same conditioner.”

Finn was about to argue that, yes, perhaps, Rey was trying some new brand other than the dirt cheap stuff she used to favor, now that she had an actual salary. And fine, he would check her toiletries if that could keep Poe in peace.

But then Ben Solo walked in through the door. His hair looked really good, as always, and today, perhaps even more so. And he looked quite calm, even if he was arriving late.

Twenty minutes late.

For the first time ever.

Right behind Rey.

“Did you see Solo’s _grin_?” Rose chimed in, and Finn turned to BB for support.

But BB’s eyes were big as saucers behind their glasses, following Ben Solo’s _fucking smile_ as he closed his office’s door.

And that was it. Not even BB could feign ignorance anymore.

Oh God.

* * *

The story went public, after all. Not the strange change in Rey and Ben’s dynamic, no, but Rose’s story.

It turned out that pulling from the animal abuse thread had unraveled a huge net of drug dealing, money loundering, political bribing, illegal betting, and children being tricked to drop out school, to work for food and some few miserable credits. Some or other big fish would sign contracts, stating that they earned succulent payments for handling the animals and cleaning their stables, and thus parts of the missing money were explained, while the alleged jobs got done.

Fathier handlers, if adults, were definitely not up to standard either. Real veterinaries had been called in just a few times, but they made too much questions and were quickly discarded in favor of superglue casts and tons of painkillers. Whatever could keep the fathiers up and running. And that was just scratching the surface.

Since a big batch of New Order politicians had been linked to the most foul activities, Green Endor activists managed to gather enough traction among the Old Alliance for the Republic in the senate, to start a massive campaign to pass a conservation bill that would declare fathiers as native fauna, and therefore, protect them from any form of exploitation.

The news coverage caused such uproar in the general public that the bill was passed, and turned into law, within _one fucking wild week._

Rose was beaming, jumping and bubbling with joy. She was in cloud nine, her phone bursting with calls, her inbox crashing with messages.

She only replied to her sister, Paige, before turning it off, and took in the sight before her.

They were all at the bar, and by all… she meant even Ben Solo was there. And he wasn’t scaring anyone, nor souring everyone’s mood. In fact, he was just… _there._ As he had been while the investigation had progressed. From the second week on, the daily emails just weren’t quick enough for how fast the team was churning. Ben and Rey’s offices were constantly open, both of them working alongside each and one of the team of journalists. Ben had even pulled strings and contacts of his own into the game, to back each incendiary claim with the very best of sources.

Rose had been pleasantly surprised to discover that Ben Solo wasn’t even that much of an asshole if one just managed to look pass his manners. And she could tell that he was trying to downplay his constant attitude too. She didn’t know exactly how, but she just knew it.

But damn, the fact that she didn’t hate him now didn’t mean that she wanted to talk to him, oh my God, he must have caught her staring now he was coming her way. Oh no, oh no. _Too late to_ _run and_ _hide, just lift your chin and smile, Tico._

“You know.” Ben started, carefully, ever so carefully, barely audible among the bar noise. “I’ve been trying to do what you did for years now.”

Rose just looked at him, perplexed.

“What I’m trying to say is.” he worked his jaw, and _Jesus Christ did he glance in Rey’s direction just now?_.

_And Rey gave him back a reassuring nod. What is going on?_

“What I mean is.” he started again. It was grating to watch, so much awkwardness in a grown up man. “You managed to take down a bunch of First Order moguls when you weren’t even trying to destroy them. Even though I know you hate them.”

Rose could do nothing but stare in silence. Yes, she despised the First Order, she abhorred their exploitative laws and polluting projects, everyone knew that. What was his point?

“They got exposed for what they are... because you were hell-bent on saving what you love.”

He looked in Rey’s direction again, but she was turned to one side, raining sunshine smiles down to her friends. Nonetheless, he smiled.

“And that’s a very refreshing perspective to have.”

He walked away, but his scent remained with her a few seconds. It smelled… oddly familiar.

Rose approached Finn slowly, not sure that she wanted to be the one that broke the news to him. Maybe she wouldn’t have to do it now, she didn’t want to burst his bubble.

“What did Solo want with you?”

_Fuck you, Poe. This is all your stupid fault._

“Ummm, he came to congratulate me on my good work, actually.”

“You don’t say? Guess some rays of sunshine do warm a cold cold heart.” He smiled to Finn, and the man rolled his eyes in response, unimpressed at Poe’s lousy pun.

Then Poe decided that Ben Solo deserved a drink, grabbed one from the open bar, and beelined for him. Rose watched in horror. _If anyone’s bound to notice, it’s Poe._

Sure enough, as Dameron patted his editor’s back, a puzzled look crossed his face. He darted looks to Ben, then to Finn, and then to Rey. His mouth slightly opened in realization.

_Shit, he noticed._

“Finn… buddy.” He said, going back to them and grabbing his hand. Finn looked at him slightly amused.

“Hum, I don’t know how to tell you this but...” Rose’s stomach clenched, and she grabbed BB’s sleeve to get their attention.

“Look, I’m not at all regretting it...” BB rolled their eyes. “But I’m very sorry you couldn’t make it to your apartment last night...”

“What is it?” Finn jumped, as Poe hesitated once more.

“Ben Solo is kind of smelling a lot like you.”

Finn froze, taking the information in silence. His head turned sharply to his editor.

He finished his drink in one final swig and marched towards Ben.

“This is it! The fucker’s using my shower gel!”

**Author's Note:**

> Ufff! First fic ever! In english, at least. Because I'm not a native speaker.  
> Please correct me if I made some eye hurting mistakes.  
> In my soul, I just want Rose Tico to do the world saving that she's capable of, and get the love that she deserves.  
> The second chapter will be Rey and Ben's side of the story, because I really want to see that.  
> Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
